dallas....
extra motivation??
Belfour expected in net tonight
Team Canada selected three goaltenders, but coach Pat Quinn refused to make a choice on a starter from Belfour, Curtis Joseph and Martin Brodeur.
That's fine with Belfour.
"I think that's fair," Belfour said. "Whoever's got the hot hand at the right time should be the guy in the net. That's the way it should be going into the Olympics."
He aims to be that guy, stringing together performances to ensure he remains in consideration to be Canada's starting goaltender. He's expected to start Monday when the Stars host the Pacific Division-leading San Jose Sharks.
Kamensky on waivers
Kamensky, who has been a regular scratch, could be kept on the roster, assigned to the minors or released. In the unlikely event he and his $1.2 million salary are claimed, the Stars will have bid adieu before Christmas to three of their six veteran acquisitions this past summer. Donald Audette and Jyrki Lumme were traded in November.
Trend: San Jose (16-7-5-3) is unbeaten in eight games after an impressive 3-0 win over the defending Stanley Cup champion Colorado Avalanche in Denver. The Sharks have tied a franchise record with four consecutive road wins.
Who's hot: RW Teemu Selanne, considered an underachiever a month ago, has eight goals and five assists in his last 14 games to coincide with the Sharks' hot streak.
Who's not: LW Adam Graves, obtained in the off-season to provide a veteran spark, has struggled with three goals and seven points in 31 games.
Injuries: D Shawn Heins (knee).
Trend: The Stars (14-9-6-3) have won seven of nine games after a 6-2 win over Phoenix, but both losses have come at American Airlines Center. They trail the Sharks by three points in the Pacific Division.
Who's hot: With a nine-game point streak, C Mike Modano is two short of his career high. He has 17 points during the streak and is just two goals shy of reaching 400 for his career.
Who's not: LW Benoit Hogue was a healthy scratch against Phoenix and has not scored in 18 games.
Injuries: LW Brenden Morrow (sprained knee), D Darryl Sydor (concussion).
Nieuwendyk has won 71 of his last 101 faceoffs during the past 5 games....
Home ice advantage??
From the Dept. of Be Careful What You Wish For, the Stars moved into the snazzy American Airlines Center this season. The new building offers amenities for players and high-dollar spectators. Everything is new and glistening and geared toward increasing revenue, a pressing concern in the current sporting environment.
The tradeoff is the Stars have lost a significant home-ice edge.
In their last five seasons at soulful Reunion, the Stars tied Detroit for the NHL's best overall home record. When the Stars won the Stanley Cup in 1999, they had a league-best 62 points at home during the regular season and went 9-3 at home in the playoffs.
This year's club began Wednesday's play on a pace for only 44 points at home, where the muted crowd reaction has resembled a meeting of shareholders in a blue-chip corporation. Players determine a club's fate, but in this case the cold new building qualifies as an accessory to the Stars' woes.
"The atmosphere is definitely different," defenseman Darryl Sydor said
The ice has changed the way visitors play the Stars.
Reunion Arena's ice, formed by an antiquated system, triggered constant complaints. The rugged home ice became the great equalizer between the Stars and opponents with more speed.
Although inconsistent, the AAC ice is an improvement. Better ice means problems for the deliberate Stars.
"I like this one much better," Ottawa captain Daniel Alfredsson said. "The ice is better than the other arena for sure. Some of their defensemen might have had an advantage in the old arena. I won't miss it, that's for sure."
Reunion's ice deteriorated during games, making it difficult to make plays late in periods. The Stars used that to their benefit, shutting down teams in the final stage of a period. Coach Ken Hitchcock stressed the importance of the final minutes of a period.
The Stars have lost their late-period advantage.
In 46 games at Reunion last season, the Stars allowed only 21 goals in the final five minutes of a period. In 15 games at AAC this season entering Wednesday's play, the Stars had allowed 17 goals in the final five minutes of a period. Several of those goals have been back-breakers.
"Teams would come in and get Q-and-A'd on ice," Hitchcock said. "Now, you don't hear any talk about ice. I always felt when people complain about something, they've already taken a step backward. That's not there anymore."
Fan-friendly
In its starkness, Reunion fostered a sense of community.
Seating was contiguous. With about 1,500 fewer seats than AAC and no extra level for luxury boxes, Reunion made spectators feel as if they were looking over the shoulder of Hitchcock and his players.
"It had that old-building atmosphere where everybody was into it," center Mike Modano said.
That has not happened at AAC.
Size and design create divisions. Architectural demands for a gradual slope to lower-bowl stands forced other seats to be swept back farther from the play. Upper-deck zealots who shaped Reunion's aura are far from the action.
Belfour 14-14-4 lifetime vs. San Jose 2.46 GAA, .892 sv %
Nabokov(not certain he is in however) lifetime vs dal 1-5-2 3.03 GAA, .888 sv %coming off shutout in Colorado, 4th of year...
After nabokov's 3 earlier shutouts this yr, in his next game he allowed 3, 2 and 2 goals respectively...San Jose won all three games and all three flew over the total(7,6,7 goals in the three games)...
[This message has been edited by wigs (edited 12-17-2001).]
extra motivation??
Belfour expected in net tonight
Team Canada selected three goaltenders, but coach Pat Quinn refused to make a choice on a starter from Belfour, Curtis Joseph and Martin Brodeur.
That's fine with Belfour.
"I think that's fair," Belfour said. "Whoever's got the hot hand at the right time should be the guy in the net. That's the way it should be going into the Olympics."
He aims to be that guy, stringing together performances to ensure he remains in consideration to be Canada's starting goaltender. He's expected to start Monday when the Stars host the Pacific Division-leading San Jose Sharks.
Kamensky on waivers
Kamensky, who has been a regular scratch, could be kept on the roster, assigned to the minors or released. In the unlikely event he and his $1.2 million salary are claimed, the Stars will have bid adieu before Christmas to three of their six veteran acquisitions this past summer. Donald Audette and Jyrki Lumme were traded in November.
Trend: San Jose (16-7-5-3) is unbeaten in eight games after an impressive 3-0 win over the defending Stanley Cup champion Colorado Avalanche in Denver. The Sharks have tied a franchise record with four consecutive road wins.
Who's hot: RW Teemu Selanne, considered an underachiever a month ago, has eight goals and five assists in his last 14 games to coincide with the Sharks' hot streak.
Who's not: LW Adam Graves, obtained in the off-season to provide a veteran spark, has struggled with three goals and seven points in 31 games.
Injuries: D Shawn Heins (knee).
Trend: The Stars (14-9-6-3) have won seven of nine games after a 6-2 win over Phoenix, but both losses have come at American Airlines Center. They trail the Sharks by three points in the Pacific Division.
Who's hot: With a nine-game point streak, C Mike Modano is two short of his career high. He has 17 points during the streak and is just two goals shy of reaching 400 for his career.
Who's not: LW Benoit Hogue was a healthy scratch against Phoenix and has not scored in 18 games.
Injuries: LW Brenden Morrow (sprained knee), D Darryl Sydor (concussion).
Nieuwendyk has won 71 of his last 101 faceoffs during the past 5 games....
Home ice advantage??
From the Dept. of Be Careful What You Wish For, the Stars moved into the snazzy American Airlines Center this season. The new building offers amenities for players and high-dollar spectators. Everything is new and glistening and geared toward increasing revenue, a pressing concern in the current sporting environment.
The tradeoff is the Stars have lost a significant home-ice edge.
In their last five seasons at soulful Reunion, the Stars tied Detroit for the NHL's best overall home record. When the Stars won the Stanley Cup in 1999, they had a league-best 62 points at home during the regular season and went 9-3 at home in the playoffs.
This year's club began Wednesday's play on a pace for only 44 points at home, where the muted crowd reaction has resembled a meeting of shareholders in a blue-chip corporation. Players determine a club's fate, but in this case the cold new building qualifies as an accessory to the Stars' woes.
"The atmosphere is definitely different," defenseman Darryl Sydor said
The ice has changed the way visitors play the Stars.
Reunion Arena's ice, formed by an antiquated system, triggered constant complaints. The rugged home ice became the great equalizer between the Stars and opponents with more speed.
Although inconsistent, the AAC ice is an improvement. Better ice means problems for the deliberate Stars.
"I like this one much better," Ottawa captain Daniel Alfredsson said. "The ice is better than the other arena for sure. Some of their defensemen might have had an advantage in the old arena. I won't miss it, that's for sure."
Reunion's ice deteriorated during games, making it difficult to make plays late in periods. The Stars used that to their benefit, shutting down teams in the final stage of a period. Coach Ken Hitchcock stressed the importance of the final minutes of a period.
The Stars have lost their late-period advantage.
In 46 games at Reunion last season, the Stars allowed only 21 goals in the final five minutes of a period. In 15 games at AAC this season entering Wednesday's play, the Stars had allowed 17 goals in the final five minutes of a period. Several of those goals have been back-breakers.
"Teams would come in and get Q-and-A'd on ice," Hitchcock said. "Now, you don't hear any talk about ice. I always felt when people complain about something, they've already taken a step backward. That's not there anymore."
Fan-friendly
In its starkness, Reunion fostered a sense of community.
Seating was contiguous. With about 1,500 fewer seats than AAC and no extra level for luxury boxes, Reunion made spectators feel as if they were looking over the shoulder of Hitchcock and his players.
"It had that old-building atmosphere where everybody was into it," center Mike Modano said.
That has not happened at AAC.
Size and design create divisions. Architectural demands for a gradual slope to lower-bowl stands forced other seats to be swept back farther from the play. Upper-deck zealots who shaped Reunion's aura are far from the action.
Belfour 14-14-4 lifetime vs. San Jose 2.46 GAA, .892 sv %
Nabokov(not certain he is in however) lifetime vs dal 1-5-2 3.03 GAA, .888 sv %coming off shutout in Colorado, 4th of year...
After nabokov's 3 earlier shutouts this yr, in his next game he allowed 3, 2 and 2 goals respectively...San Jose won all three games and all three flew over the total(7,6,7 goals in the three games)...
[This message has been edited by wigs (edited 12-17-2001).]
